What: Game Twenty-Four
Who: NM State (9-14, 2-9 WAC) at Grand Canyon (15-8, 6-4 WAC)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m. MT
Where: Phoenix, Ariz. - GCU Arena (7,000)

Watch: ESPN+ | Comcast New Mexico | Bally Sports Arizona Extra
Listen: Zia Country 99.5 (PxP - Jack Nixon, Analyst - Anita Skipper)
Attend: Online Ticket Sales
Stats: Click Here
Follow: Twitter - @NMStateMBB, Instagram - @NMStateMBB, Facebook - NM State Men's Basketball

THE OPENING TIP                                        
• Last Wednesday, the Aggies put an end to its nine-game losing streak with a home win over Stephen F. Austin. On Saturday, NM State solidified itself as a team to keep an eye on as they took down another WAC title contender in Seattle U – winning 82-75 while holding a potent Redhawk offense to just 36.6% from the field.
• Head Coach Greg Heiar and his crew now head into Phoenix where they will look to earn the Aggies' 19th win over the Lopes in just 24 meetings, including coming out on top in the most recent three tilts.
• The Aggies' balanced attack has been what has gotten the job done in the last two games as the Aggies' leading scorer finished with just 15 points in both victories. Additionally, NM State received double-digit scoring efforts from five Aggies against SFA before six scorers turned in double figures against Seattle U.
• Spreading the scoring responsibility has also led to more efficient offensive numbers across the last two outings as the Aggies shot 50.5% in their last 80 minutes. On the other end, the Aggies have also increased the defensive intensity – holding the Lumberjacks and Redhawks to a combined 40% from the field and just 31.5% from beyond the arc.
 
NEXT-LEVEL RESERVES                              
• It's not often you'll find a mid-major program that can say it has a pair of players coming off the bench who have each started 65-plus games at the Power Five level. However, that is exactly how the Aggies have been winning as Xavier Pinson and DaJuan Quaye Gordon have embraced their reserve roles in the Aggies' lone two WAC wins.
• Gordon, a 6-5 guard who played at both Kansas State and Missouri, has been the Aggies' leading scorer across the last two contests at 14.5 points per game.
• Meanwhile, Pinson, the man who was the starting point guard at LSU following a stint at Missouri, has also averaged double figures (10.0 ppg) while also pacing the Aggies in assists (6.5 apg).
• Despite coming off the bench, Pinson still ranks second in minutes per game at 30.1 while Gordon has also earned just over 26 minutes per game during the two-game homestand.
 
GETTING IT DONE DOWN LOW                  
• In their two wins, NM State has dominated the painted area – outscoring its opponents 82-52 in the most important area of the floor.
• That control has largely been thanks to a pair of Aggies who have combined to shoot 77.8% from the floor during the last two games. Doctor Bradley finished the week 10-12 from the field to post an 83.3 shooting percentage while averaging 11.0 points per game. Meanwhile, Issa Muhammad shot 11-15 (.733) from the floor and averaged 12.0 points.
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE                          
• The emphasis on scheduling quality opponents during non-conference play has always existed at NM State and this year is no exception as four of the Aggies' opponents before WAC play rank inside the top-100 in the NET Rankings, including mid-major power Saint Mary's who currently sits in sixth.
• However, with the improving level of play inside the league, that difficult schedule has now extended into the start of conference play. Through their first 11 WAC games, the Aggies' strength of schedule is the only slate that ranks inside the top 100.
• Meanwhile, the Aggies' average opponent NET rank is 76th in the nation - 20 spots higher than that of the next-closest WAC program.
• According to KenPom.com, the Aggies' also have the most difficult conference strength of schedule.
 
FINDING SUCCESS IN PHOENIX                
• Since becoming a member of the WAC in 2013-14, Grand Canyon has only lost 31 times on its home floor, however, the Aggies have been responsible for the largest number of those losses as they have tallied six wins inside the hostile arena.
 
CHASING 1,500                                           
• In four and a half years at the collegiate ranks, Pinson has scored 1,476 points - putting him just 24 points shy of reaching 1,500 for his career.
• As of now, Pinson would need to average just 3.5 points per game to reach this milestone during the regular season slate.
• Pinson has started in 21 of the Aggies' 23 contest this season and paces the team in scoring, notching 298 total points to average 13.0 points per game.
• While the Chicago native did the majority of his scoring at his previous stops, Pinson would become just the 10th Aggie in program history to reach 1,500 while donning Crimson & White.
 
HISTORIC WAC DOMINANCE                      
• Amid its final season in the WAC, NM State has put together one of the most impressive runs in all of college basketball.
• Across 17-plus years, the Aggies have posted a 198-73 record against conference opponents.
• Additionally, the Aggies' 10 WAC Tournament titles are the most in conference history with UTEP's five tournament titles being the next closest.
• Individually, the Aggies have collected five WAC Player of the Year honors and 20 First Team All-WAC selections while NM State bench bosses have garnered four WAC Coach of the Year distinctions.
 
TERRIFIC TANDEM                                       
• Deshawndre Washington and Xavier Pinson have been one of the most prolific backcourts in the country and are currently averaging a combined 8.5 assists per game.
• Both Pinson and Washington currently rank inside the top ten in the WAC in assists per game as Pinson's 4.7 assist-per-game average is second-best in the conference and Washington's average of 3.8 assists ranks eighth.
• The two guards who hail from The Windy City are also the Aggies' top two scorers this season as Pinson leads the Aggies by scoring 13.0 points per game while Washington ranks second on the squad, posting 11.9 points per contest.
• Pinson and Washington are also the only two Aggies averaging more than 30 minutes of playing time under Greg Heiar this season.
 
FIRST-YEAR CHALLENGE                            
• Across Division I college basketball, there are currently 63 head coaches in their first year with their respective programs, including 25 head coaches amid their first season at the Division I level like NM State bench boss Greg Heiar. Many of those head coaches are also learning how difficult it is to win games in their debut seasons.
• Of those programs with new head faces leading the way, 35 programs have sub-.500 overall records as of Friday, Feb. 3. This also includes four schools other than NM State that also reached the NCAA Tournament last season.
• When it comes to conference records, there are currently 37 institutions with first-year head coaches posting win percentages below .500 in league play, including 12 programs with one or fewer wins against conference opponents.
 
NO WALK IN THE PARK IN THE WAC        
• For years, WAC Championships have run through Las Cruces and there appeared to be a gulf between NM State and the rest of the league, however, this season it looks as though the rest of the league has finally caught up.
• Currently, the WAC ranks 11th out of 32 Division I conferences in average NET ranking (159.54).
• Last season, the conference made a massive jump to finish with an average NET ranking of 194.0 to conclude the season ranked 15th out of 31 after finishing ranked 26th in 2020-21.
• Meanwhile, from the 2018-19 season to the 2021-22 season, the WAC posted a final average NET ranking of 212.22 with a final average ranking of 20.5.
 
Year            Avg. NET         Rank
2022-23     159.54            11th
2021-22     194.00            15th
2020-21     238.56            26th
2019-20     245.11            25th
2018-19     171.22            16th
 
FINISHING THE JOB                                     
• Though the Aggies have had a tough time grabbing a late lead this season, they have been good at closing games they do find themselves ahead in during the final minutes.
• This season, NM State is a perfect 9-0 in games that it leads with five minutes left on the clock.
 
PUT JANUARY IN THE PAST                       
• NM State is glad to be done with the month of January after going 0-7 during the first 31 days of the year.
• January marked the first time the Aggies went a full month without a win since NM State went 0-8 in February of 2005.
 
MAJOR MID-MAJOR                                     
• Ten of the Aggies' opponents during the 2022-23 season are featured among the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top-25 rankings, with six Aggie opponents among the top 25 while the remaining four squads are receiving votes to be included in the rankings.
• Of those ten, the Aggies have seen or will see six of them during WAC play (Grand Canyon, Sam Houston, Seattle U, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin and Utah Valley).
 
#PROAGGIES                           
• Following a recent call-up for Trevelin Queen, the Aggies are now represented in the NBA on two rosters as Pascal Siakam is in his seventh season with the Toronto Raptors and Queen now suits up for the Indiana Pacers. Meanwhile, Jemerrio Jones continues to represent the Aggies in the NBA G League.
• Siakam has continued a stellar career with the Raptors and is a two-time All-NBA honoree who appears to be on his way to his second career NBA All-Star selection.
• After being named the NBA G League MVP following a breakout year with the Rio Grande Vipers in 2021-22, Queen signed a two-year with the Philadelphia 76ers through free agency. However, Queen's stay with the 76ers would be short-lived as he was waived before the season began. Since parting ways with the Sixers, the Baltimore, Md., native signed a two-way deal with the Indiana Pacers.
• Since getting called up, Queen has appeared in seven games for the Pacers - recording a season-high 13 points in 23 minutes of action on Jan. 18 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
• Meanwhile, Jemerrio Jones secured his second deal in the G League as he opened the season as a member of the Lakeland Magic (Orlando Magic affiliate). Last season, the former Aggie often referred to as "Super JJ" played 11 games for the Milwaukee Bucks G League affiliate the Wisconsin Herd. With the Herd, Jones averaged 6.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
 
SCOUTING THE LOPES          
• After stints at Valparaiso and Vanderbilt, Bryce Drew is in his third year at the helm of Grand Canyon's program.
• Last year, the leader from the well-known basketball family led the Lopes to its first 20-win season since 2018-19 as GCU finished the year with an overall record of 23-8 while turning in a 13-5 record in league play.
• The Lopes earned the No. 4 seed in the 2022 WAC Tournament and were able to pick up a 71-66 win over Sam Houston in the second round of the tournament. GCU then ran into NM State in the semifinals where the Aggies ended Grand Canyon's hopes at reaching its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
• Grand Canyon entered the season with high expectations as it was the only team that finished ahead of NM State on both the Preseason WAC Media Poll and Preseason WAC Coaches' Poll.
• Since winning its first two games in WAC play, Grand Canyon has yet to put together back-to-back wins, however, they have also avoided losing two straight - leaving them with a 6-4 record in conference play to sit in sixth place in the WAC standings.
• Against NM State, the Lopes will look to rely on its ability to rebound the ball and force the Aggies into tough shots. Entering Saturday, GCU ranks 50th in the country in field goal percentage defense (41%) while ranking third in the WAC in rebounds per game with 37.00 boards per contest.
• From an individual standpoint, transfer Ray Harrison serves as GCU's leading scorer as he posts 16.9 points per game - a clip that ranks fourth in the conference.
• Gabe McGlothan will also be present on the front page of the Aggies' scouting report as he ranks second on the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) while pacing the Lopes in rebounding (8.0 rpg).
• Grand Canyon will be without Preseason WAC Player of the Year Jovan Blacksher Jr. who suffered a season-ending injury in the Lopes' first game of the new year.
• Without being able to lean on the talented Blacksher Jr., Head Coach Bryce Drew has turned to sophomore guard Chance McMillian to pick up the scoring slack. McMillian enters the contest against NM State off a career night against Stephen F. Austin on Saturday when he tallied 24 points on 9-11 from the field while shooting 6-7 from long range. In the eight games that GCU has been without Blacksher Jr., McMillian has averaged 14.4 points per game while scoring in double figures in all but one game when he posted nine points against Tarleton on Jan. 28.
• This will mark the 24th all-time meeting between the two programs and will likely be the final time the Aggies make the trip to Phoenix while residing in the same league as the Lopes. GCU will repay the visit when they come to Las Cruces on Feb. 22 for the Aggies' final home game of the season.